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Diseases of the Respiratory Organs. 179 
Chronic Cough, by which is denoted a constant 
effort to discharge from the lungs, attended by a dry, 
harsh sound, usually commencing on the least exertion, 
short, and somewhat feeble, is common to animals taking 
little exercise, highly fed, and accustomed to warm 
rooms and soft comfortable beds. Violent paroxysms 
ensue on the infliction of unusual exercise, and the 
animal appears to be choking, the respiration being 
disturbed, and froth is ejected from the mouth. There 
are probably signs of indigestion with irregular bowels, 
&c., by which reflex nervous action upon the breathing 
apparatus is induced, leading to limited secretion and 
undue relaxation from want of nervous energy. 
Cure depends upon removal of the causes, which should 
be carefully ascertained, the chief of which is doubtless 
chronic forms of indigestion inducing disturbance of the 
functional powers of the liver, spleen, pancreas, &c. 
Treatment of the cough alone is useless. 
Asthma.—This painfully distressing disease finds its 
origin in a chronic form of bronchitis associated with 
thickening of the mucous membrane of the tubes, with 
more or less structural changes in the lung tissue as the 
result of high feeding and idleness. As dogs thus 
privileged grow old, the changes are completed : a fully 
distended stomach with increasing fat, exercising pressure, 
limits the respiratory act, and fully accomplishes that 
which is necessary to unfit the tissues for healthy 
function. 
The Symptoms at the outset are those of indigestion, a 
depraved appetite, offensive mouth and breath, frequent 
vomition, flatulence, constipation, enlarged or hard 
abdomen. Piles are also common, or, if not developed, 
they are indicated by the animal drawing the anus over 
the ground, the hind paws -being elevated on each side 
of his face. The animal is soon tired, hesitates to follow 
his owner, suffers from palpitation, has a capricious 
appetite, but is voracious after flesh. He is teased by a 
constant cough, which assumes such paroxysmal severity 
as to prostrate the sufferer, and he lies as if he were 
choking, but, after throwing out frothy matter, gains 
